Monday, December 03, 2012

Using Motivational Interviewing in Conversations With Patients

In a new APTA podcast, MarySue Ingman, PT, DSc, describes the use of motivational
interviewing (MI) when talking to patients about making changes in their
lifestyle and presents the key concepts of MI—expressing empathy, supporting
self-efficacy, rolling with resistance, and developing discrepancy. She also
offers listeners specific MI techniques that they can use with patients, such as
asking open-ended questions and demonstrating reflective listening. Ingman
illustrates how the techniques can be used with an example in which a physical
therapist has to have a conversation with a patient about smoking or a sedentary
lifestyle.

This
podcast is the third in a series on behavioral change. Look for a podcast later
this month that will provide an example of using MI with a student. The other
podcasts in this series can be found on APTA's Health Behavior Change webpage.